"Mickey and Karen L. Taylor, Tayhill Stable, Jim Hill, etc."" 1978: Ridden by Steve Cauthen, Affirmed became the 11th horse to win the Triple Crown in storybook fashion. In all three Triple Crown races, he defeated Alydar, ridden by Jorge Velasquez, by a nose in one of racing’s epic rivalries. Two months later in the Travers, Affirmed finished first but is placed second for interfering with Alydar, who was declared the winner. Affirmed and Alydar would race 10 times in their careers, with Affirmed winning seven times. Cauthen was 18 when he captured the Triple Crown, the youngest jockey in"
"Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Affirmed was also known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten times, including in all three Triple Crown races. Affirmed was the last horse to win the Triple Crown for a 37-year period, which was ended in 2015 by American Pharoah. Affirmed won fourteen Grade I stakes races over his career and was a champion each of the three years he raced. At age two in 1977, he was"
"Farm, wearing the flamingo pink colors of his original owners, Harbor View Farm. Final: Affirmed 7, Alydar 3 In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Affirmed was ranked #12. His career has been honored with his election to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1980. Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the eleventh winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Affirmed was also known for his famous rivalry with Alydar, whom he met ten"
"became the youngest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Affirmed in 1978. At 52, Mike Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown, riding Justify in 2018. Only one horse, Alydar, has placed (finished second) in all three races. He was defeated by Affirmed in all three races in 1978 by a combined margin of two lengths. His trainer John Veitch is the only trainer to have done this with one horse. In 1995, D. Wayne Lukas became the first and only major figure (owner, jockey, or trainer) to win all three Triple Crown races with different"
"Barrera won fourteen Grade 1 Stakes races with Affirmed, the most by any stallion in history, and earned racing immortality by capturing the 1978 U.S. Triple Crown, the tenth trainer to sweep the races in a season. Since then, one trainer (D. Wayne Lukas) has won all three of the Triple Crown races, in 1995 when he trained two horses (Thunder Gulch and Timber Country) for the only individual Triple Crown winner, but it would not be until 20 years after Lukas' unique double that Bob Baffert would do the traditional Crown with American Pharoah doing the triple in 2015."
"1977, Seattle Slew became the first horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. Affirmed was the last winner of the Triple Crown in the 20th century, taking the Belmont Stakes in 2:26 4/5 on June 10, 1978. Ridden by eighteen-year-old Steve Cauthen, Affirmed defeated rival Alydar with Jorge Velasquez in the saddle. At the time the race was the third-slowest start and the third-fastest finish with the quarter in 25, the half in 50, 3/4 in 1:14, the mile in 1:37 2/5. In 1988, Secretariat's son Risen Star won the Belmont in 2:26 2/5, then the second-fastest time in"
"winner of all three Triple Crown races was Sir Barton in 1919. Some journalists began using the term ""Triple Crown"" to refer to the three races as early as 1923, but it was not until Gallant Fox won the three events in 1930 that Charles Hatton of the ""Daily Racing Form"" put the term into common use. In the history of the Triple Crown, 13 horses have won all three races: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), Affirmed (1978), American Pharoah"
"Affirmed Stakes (FS) The Affirmed Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually as the third leg of the (FTBOA) Florida Sire stakes series. Inaugurated in 1983 at Calder Race Course as part of the Florida Stallion stakes series the race was named after the Florida-bred Triple Crown winner Affirmed, who was well known for his rivalry with the west coast-bred Alydar. The race was originally run at 6 furlongs but in its second year was increased to 7 furlongs in order to create a gradually increasing set of lengths throughout the series to allow the young horses to step"
"turf (grass) he was a noted sire of turf runners, most notably multiple Grade I winners Flawlessly and The Tin Man. As a broodmare sire, his daughters have notably produced Honey Ryder (G1W on turf) and Pleasantly Perfect (G1W on dirt & synthetic, notable wins include Breeders Cup Classic and the Dubai World Cup). In 2001, Affirmed was euthanized after falling seriously ill with laminitis, a circulatory hoof disease. The same disease has also led to the death of fellow Triple Crown winner Secretariat and Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. He was buried whole—the ultimate honor for a race horse—at Jonabell"
"starts with 1 second and 1 third as a four-year-old and earning $1,148,800. In his career, Affirmed earned a then record $2,393,818 (the first Thoroughbred in North America to win over $2 million) with 22 wins, 5 seconds and 1 third from 29 starts. His trainer, Laz Barrera, once said: ""Affirmed is greater than Secretariat, or any Triple Crown winner, because only Affirmed had to face Alydar."" Affirmed was syndicated at a then-record $14.4 million. At stud Affirmed sired over 80 stakes winners, 9 champions with earnings in excess of $44,000,000 (through 2004) including: Though Affirmed never raced on the"
"(2015), and Justify (2018). As of 2018, American Pharoah and Justify are the only living Triple Crown winners. James E. ""Sunny Jim"" Fitzsimmons was the first trainer to win the Triple Crown more than once; he trained both Gallant Fox and his son Omaha for the Belair Stud breeding farm. Gallant Fox and Omaha are the only father-son duo to win the Triple Crown. Bob Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown twice, training American Pharoah and Justify. Belair Stud and Calumet Farm are tied as the owners with the most Triple Crown victories with two apiece."
"history, they raced the fastest last mile in Belmont Stakes history, in 1:14, the mile in 1:37 and finished in 2:26 . It was, at the time, the third fastest Belmont ever, behind Secretariat and Gallant Man. His Triple Crown win set two records: the shortest and longest gaps between the previous and next Triple Crown winners. Affirmed's win in 1978 was the first time the Triple Crown had been won in consecutive years (Seattle Slew won in 1977). Affirmed's win also marked the start of the longest gap until the next Triple Crown winner, with American Pharoah's win on"
"Calumet Farms won with Whirlaway and Citation. Eddie Arcaro rode both of Calumet Farms' Triple Crown champions and is the only jockey to win more than one Triple Crown. Secretariat holds the stakes record time for each of the three races. His time of 2:24 for miles in the 1973 Belmont Stakes also set a world record that still stands. The three Triple Crown races had been run for decades before the series received its name; the Belmont Stakes was first run in 1867; the Preakness, in 1873; and the Kentucky Derby, in 1875. The term was in use at"
"to the wire, with Affirmed barely holding on to win by a head to claim the Triple Crown. In his racing career Alydar won 14 of 26 starts, finishing second 9 times and third once, and earned purses totalling $957,195. He raced against Affirmed ten times in his career, winning three. Alydar was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1989. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Alydar was ranked #27. Alydar was a major success as a stallion. His offspring include Hall of Fame"
". Affirmed picked up the Woodward Stakes at Belmont Park, and then faced one more all-time great horse, three-year-old Spectacular Bid, in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, also at Belmont. Spectacular Bid, like Alydar, preferred to run off the pace, and once again, Affirmed was allowed to set a slow pace, going the first half mile in 49 seconds. Spectacular Bid issued challenges at Affirmed, but Affirmed won. Spectacular Bid was undefeated during the rest of his racing career. Affirmed was named Horse of the Year and the American Champion Older Male Horse of 1979, having won 7 of 9"
"racing season and had a twenty-two year breeding career. Among his progeny were 1935 Triple Crown winner Omaha and Granville, the 1936 Horse of the Year. He also sired Omaha's full brother Flares, who in 1938 became only the second American-bred to ever win England's Ascot Gold Cup. Gallant Fox was the first US Triple Crown winner to sire a second-generation Triple Crown champion when his son Omaha won the U.S. Triple Crown in 1935. Fifty-eight years later, in 1993, Affirmed became the second when his son, Peteski, won the Canadian Triple Crown. Gallant Fox died on November 13, 1954,"
"He was named Horse of the Year despite the losses to Alydar, Seattle Slew, and Exceller, and was also named the American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse. As a four-year-old in 1979, Affirmed started the season with a third place in the Malibu Stakes and a second in the San Fernando Stakes. He had a five race losing sequence prior to starting in the Charles H. Strub Stakes at Santa Anita Park. Laz Barrera replaced Cauthen with Pincay and Affirmed didn't lose again and would dominate the handicaps the rest of the year. Affirmed won the Strub Stakes, and then ran"
"of the 20th Century, he was ranked twelfth. Affirmed was a chestnut horse bred in Marion County, Florida by Louis Wolfson's Harbor View Farm. The derivation of the name ""Affirmed"" has been the subject of speculation, in part because the conviction of Wolfson, for securities law violations, had been affirmed on appeal in 1969, resulting in his imprisonment. Affirmed was sired by the Harbor View stallion Exclusive Native, a high-class racehorse and breeding stallion, whose other progeny included the Kentucky Derby-winning filly Genuine Risk. As a two-year-old, Affirmed won seven of his nine starts, with two placings, for earnings of"
"1978 American Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Affirmed was voted Horse of the Year twice, in 1978 and 1979, and also was champion at 2 in 1977, at 3 in 1978, and at 4 in 1979. The Wolfsons' stable led all North American owners in money earned in 1978, 1979, and 1980 and was the Eclipse Award winners as top breeder in 1978. Additionally, two of Wolfson sons, Steve and Gary, bred It's In The Air, American Co-Champion Two-Year-Old Filly in 1978, in the name of Happy Valley Farm. Wolfson tried to buy Louisville's Churchill Downs—home of the Kentucky Derby—for $46.1"
"time of their win by their breeders. Jim Fitzsimmons and Bob Baffert are the only two trainers to have two horses win the Triple Crown, with Fitzsimmons training the sire/son combination of 1930 winner Gallant Fox and 1935 winner Omaha and Baffert training 2015 winner American Pharoah and 2018 winner Justify. The wins by Fitzsimmons were also the first time that an owner and the first time that a breeder, Belair Stud holding both duties, had a repeat win of the Triple Crown. Calumet Farm is the only other owner with two Triple Crown horses, 1941 winner Whirlaway and 1948"
"moved alongside Affirmed with more than seven furlongs to go. For more than six furlongs (half the distance of the race), the colts raced neck and neck, pulling away from the rest of the field. Alydar got his nose in front at mid-stretch, but just as Affirmed appeared to tire, Cauthen went to a left-handed whip, something he had never done before in his eight rides on Affirmed. Affirmed won by a nose to become racing's 11th (and last winner for 37 years until American Pharoah won in 2015), Triple Crown winner. After the third slowest start in Belmont Stakes"
"the leading sire in North America in 1978 and 1979, he made a name for himself when he produced his most famous son Affirmed, who won the 1978 U.S. Triple Crown, and his daughter Genuine Risk, one of only three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby (1980). Exclusive Native sired many other great stakes winners as well, including Champion 2-year-old filly Outstandingly and Champion 2-year-old colt Puerto RicoProdigo, as well as many Grade 1 Stakes winners like Mill Native, winner of the Arlington Million Stakes, Sabona, Life’s Hope and Valdez. The 2015 U.S. Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, has Exclusive"
"in 1982 with 3,749 career wins. For the final three years in racing, Baird worked as a trainer and then as an agent for his son, jockey Edward Thomas Baird who was often recorded as E. T. Baird. Baird rode in the Kentucky Derby five times, the last coming in 1978 which made the then fifty-seven-year-old the oldest jockey ever to compete in the first leg of the U. S. Triple Crown series. Also in that race was sixteen-year-old Steve Cauthen, the youngest jockey to ever ride in the Kentucky Derby who became its youngest winner aboard Affirmed. In 1975"
"Alydar Alydar (March 23, 1975 – November 15, 1990) was a chestnut colt and an American Thoroughbred race horse who was most famous for finishing a close second to Affirmed in all three races of the 1978 Triple Crown. With each successive race, Alydar narrowed Affirmed's margin of victory; Affirmed won by 1.5 lengths in the Kentucky Derby, by a neck in the Preakness and by a head in the Belmont Stakes. Alydar has been described as the best horse in the history of Thoroughbred racing never to have won a championship. Alydar's fame continued when he got older. He"
"died under suspicious circumstances. Trained by John M. Veitch (who also trained Alydar's half-sister, Eclipse Award winning Our Mims) and ridden by jockey Jorge Velásquez, in 1978 Alydar dueled with Affirmed in all three legs of the Triple Crown he lost to his arch-rival by a combined total of less than two lengths. The 1978 Belmont Stakes, the third (and final) leg of the series, is considered by many as one of the most exciting races in the history of the sport. In that race, Alydar and Affirmed dueled side-by-side from the middle of the far turn all the way"
"Affirmed Stakes (LATC) The Affirmed Stakes (formerly the Affirmed Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race administered by the Los Angeles Turf Club and run annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Raced in late-June or early-July, the Grade III event is open to three-year-old horses and is contested on dirt over a distance of miles (8.5 furlongs). Inaugurated in 1979 as the Silver Screen Handicap, in 1993 the race was renamed to honor the 1978 U.S. Triple Crown champion, Affirmed. The race was also called the Affirmed Handicap. The event was originally held at Hollywood Park Racetrack but"
"sire, Gallant Fox, became the only father/son Triple Crown champions. ""Omaha was bred and owned by Belair Stud."" 1937: War Admiral lacked the fierce temperament of his famous father, Man o’ War, but earned the Triple Crown for his breeder and owner, Samuel D. Riddle. Ridden by Charles Kurtsinger, War Admiral in the Belmont Stakes showed the grit of a champion: After stumbling at the gate and cutting himself on the right front fore-foot, he quickly recovered and won by three lengths. His injury wasn’t discovered until after the race, on the way to the Winner’s Circle. ""War Admiral’s trainer"
"$343,477 under regular rider Steve Cauthen, then a teenager. Notably, six of those starts were against his rival, Calumet Farm's Alydar, with Affirmed winning four and Alydar winning two. Affirmed won his first start in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park on May 24, 1977. He followed up with a win in the Youthful Stakes on June 15 where he defeated Alydar by eight lengths. On July 6 in the Great American Stakes, Alydar evened the score with a length win after mounting a powerful stretch drive. Affirmed was then shipped across country to Hollywood Park, where he"
"history to achieve the feat. ""Affirmed was bred and owned by Harbor View Farm; his trainer was Laz Barrera."" 2015: Before a roaring Belmont Park crowd of 90,000 and a national television audience of more than 22 million, American Pharoah won the 147th Belmont Stakes to become the 12th winner of the Triple Crown and first in 37 years. “This little horse deserves it,” trainer Bob Baffert said of his horse, American Pharoah, bred and owned by Ahmed Zayat and ridden by Victor Espinoza. “There’s something about this horse that he just brought it every time.” Of the more than"
"record-breaking drought: after Affirmed in 1978, no horse would complete the Triple Crown until American Pharoah achieved the feat in 2015. Spectacular Bid and American Pharoah are also the last two 2-year-old champions to run in the Belmont with Triple Crowns on the line. Following the Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid took two months off to recover from the injury. He returned to racing with Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker, who rode him through most of the remainder of his career. His first race back was in August 1979 in an allowance race at Delaware Park. He won by more"
"through his sire, of Mr. Prospector. American Pharoah had previously defeated every horse entered, but he was also the only horse to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown and had run four races in the preceding eight weeks. Of the group, Frosted, who ran wide on the turn in the Kentucky Derby but rallied strongly to finish fourth, just three lengths from the lead, was considered by some commentators to pose the strongest challenge to American Pharoah. While acknowledging that a Triple Crown win ""is something every single person is rooting for"", Justin Zayat, of Zayat Stables, LLC,"
"winner Citation. Eddie Arcaro is the only jockey to ride two horses to the Triple Crown, both for Calumet, Whirlaway and Citation. Those two horses' trainers, Ben Jones and Jimmy Jones, were father and son. All 13 horses, and most owners, trainers, and jockeys were born in the United States. The exceptions were jockey Johnny Longden, born in England and raised in Canada; French-born jockey Jean Cruguet; trainer Laz Barrera, from Cuba; and jockey Victor Espinoza, from Mexico. Secretariat's trainer, Lucien Laurin and jockey, Ron Turcotte were both Canadians. Owner Fannie Hertz was married to John D. Hertz, who was"
"the undercard today."" The win made Justify the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown, and just the second horse to accomplish the feat while still undefeated. Justify's owners received a total of $2.94 million for winning all three Triple Crown races. Following the Belmont Stakes, observers questioned the tactics of jockey Florent Geroux aboard Restoring Hope, who was also trained by Baffert. Restoring Hope broke slowly from the starting gate but quickly headed for the lead in between horses, cutting in front of Noble Indy and drifting wide entering the first turn. He then veered left, pushing Bravazo towards"